Friday, 30 January 2015

'Islands' Bush Theatre **

There are a number of productions that one does not contemplate
on what the playwright is attempting to convey within their work, as well as
the repelled nature during the entire performance. The Bush Theatre’s recent
play of Caroline Horton, ‘Islands’ was one that is disgracefully grotesque, also
the characterisations were dreadful.

‘Islands’ is set in an uninhibited swimming pool, which has
now been distorted into a kind of a wasteland to depict an abnormal perception
of tax havens. We are introduced to Mary, a peculiar woman who appears to revel
in her own self-importance, alongside her frustrations to those who will not
conform to her domineering commands. Her associates, Agent (John Biddle) and
Swill (Seirlol Davies), who confidently dress in drag give the impression that
they are malevolent to a degree, additionally, they seem to be a sort of
marketing tool to illustrate the power of money. However, Mary acts as a
reassuring individual who will endeavour to make new people enormously peaceful
and welcome into the commune, this is shown through married couple, Adam (Simon
Startin) and Eve, in the biblical sense allow their greed to emancipate as they
are blissfully unaware that their new environment is bursting with sinful consequences
. Eve begins to comprehend this and argues with Mary that the circumstances of
these activities and lifestyles that she has become pressurised into is
deplorable and legitimately dishonourable, as such she decides to rescue her
dignity and leave this so called island of paradise. Conversely, this verdict
is at a cost as her husband, Adam has to remain behind, Mary is repulsed by her
disloyalty and explains that she is a factor to a corrupt society that avoids
paying tax on a majority of items that they own. In addition to this, it
becomes obvious that Mary’s obsession will inevitably lead to gargantuan mockery
for all those outside of the commune, and as Eve re-emerges from her cursed
life, she revels in Mary’s ultimate destruction. Horton’s narrative is bafflingly ludicrous as
one could not understand the reasoning why she has written a piece of theatre
that does not challenge its themes whatsoever. Furthermore, the plot is
confusing and tedious, and increasingly vulgar.

One found the performances by the company of ‘Islands’ to be
discreditable and categorically unfunny. Caroline Horton is despicable as the
creepy, Mary; chiefly when she cannot even formulate a cohesive argument as to
why she’s living in an abnormal and abandoned swimming pool. Her vocal work and
movements were poorly executed too. Hannah Ringham is tragic as the eerie, Eve;
exclusively when she tries to describe the undignified lifestyle choices that
Mary and her two sidekicks are living under.

Omar Elerian’s direction is monstrous here as he presents a
play that enables you to become nauseated throughout the entire performance,
and conclusively walk out as it’s mind-numbingly dull and depressing. Oliver
Townsend ‘s design is exceedingly unflattering as there does not seem to be an
actual explanation as to why certain objects are in its position, as well as,
the in the round staging formation is questionable as it does not work at all.
Overall, one found the experience of ‘Islands’ to be a catastrophic one and not
at all a positive representation of the Bush’s prestigious work and not a
recommendation fundamentally,